hagner



Nov. 19, 1946. F. H. HAGNER OBSERVATION AND ANGLE-DETERMINING INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 19, 1946. HAGNER 2,411,425

OBSERVATION AND ANGLE-DETERMINING INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 wuc/wbob FREDERICK H. HA G/VE i Patented Nov. 19, 1946 OBSERVATION AND AN GLE-DETERMINING INSTRUMENT Frederick H. Hagner, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to Arohbold-Hagner Instrument Laboratory, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application December 5, 1940, Serial No. 368,698

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an observation and angle-determining instrument, and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and eflicient means for determining, by direct observation, the angular position of a ship, plane and the like, at a given time with respect to a horizontal or vertical plane.

A further object of this invention is the production of a. simple and efficient means for recording the angular position of a plane, ship and the like, at a given time relative to a horizontal or vertical plane, whereby the readings while taking observations of celestial bodies and the like, by direct observation may be conveniently checked with the record of the angular position of the observation instrument at the time of observation to more accurately obtain a proper calculation as to an observers position with respect to the body being observed.

A still further object of this invention is the production of a simple and efiicient recording means for providing a permanent record of the angular position of the device with respect to the vertical and horizontal planes, at a given time,-thereby recording the angle of tilt of the instrument in all directions, away from the true vertical, while making an observation.

Qther objects and advantages of the present inventionwill appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the observation and angle-determining instrument;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, certain parts being shown in elevation;

. Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3;

' Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the micrometer release;

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line '|l'of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an end elevational view looking at the outer end of the observation tube;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the glass or transparent plate which supports the recording strip of paper and illustrating a fragment of the recording strip ofpaper;-

Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the transparent plate or glass carried by the observation tube near the outer end thereof.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that It! designates handle which may be in the nature of a hollow tube suspended in threaded engagement with a head H. An observation tube 12 is carried by the upper end of the head II and extends at right angles to the handle I0, the handle normally extending substantially in a vertical position and the observation tube l2 normally extending in a horizontal position. A stop Watch may be carried by the observation tube l l to record the exact time at which the observation is being made.

The observation tube ll preferably comprises an elongated tubular member having an eyepiece [4 at its inner end, which eye-piece supports a plain glass panel l5. A light-varying segment [6 is pivotally secured, as at IT, within the eye cap l4, and is provided with a knurled finger-engaging portion 18 at its upper end to facilitate the swinging of the light-varying segment IS. The light-varying segment l6 preferably is provided with three light openings i9, 20 and 2|, arranged on an arc with respect to the pivot I? so as to be swung across the center of the glass panel l5. The light opening I9 may be a clear opening, the light opening 20 a shaded opening, and the opening 2| a shaded opening with a clear small center opening 22. In this way, the light-varying segment it maybe swung to a position over the center of the panel [5 to correspond with the intensity of the light which is being viewed through the observation tube II.

The outer end of the observation tube H is provided with a glass panel 23 having a luminous spot 24 formed in the exact center thereof, this luminous spot being of transparent luminous material, so that at night when a star is sighted through the observation tube H the brilliancy of the star may be viewed through the transparent spot to enable an observer to place the spot in a dead-center with respect to the object being viewed, such as a star of a smaller relative size. When viewing larger objects the luminous spot will facilitate the placing of the spot in the exact center of the object being viewed, for instance as when viewing the sun which is a 32-minutes are the luminous spot or dot has a dimension with respect to the celestial body of a 20-minutes arc, In this way an observer may determine whether or not the spot is toward the edge of the arc of the sun or is in the dead-center. The observer also in this Way may utilize the optics of the eye to replace the usual lenses which are employed in many instruments of this character.

A graduated quadrant 25 is hung from the observation tube in the manner shown and this quadrant is provided with rack teeth 26 upon its periphery which teeth are adapted to be engaged by a suitable micrometer screw 21, this screw being so adjusted as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 6 to permit the release of the screw from the rack teeth 23 by compressing the trigger 28. Any well-known type of means may be utilized for this purpose to permit the micrometer screw 2? to be properly adjusted by rotating the knob 29 or to permit the hanger frame 36 to be freely swung when the trigger 28 is compressed The quadrant 25 as above stated, is hung from the observation tube and is also hung upon the shaft 35 which extends transversely throughthe head II. This quadrant is fixed at its lower end in any suitable manner to the handle it to hold the quadrant 25 in anchored relation with respect to the handle I. v V

The hanger 33 is journaled for free swinging movement upon the shaft 31 and is held in slidable engagement with the quadrant 25, as shown in Figure 3, and may be connected thereto in any convenient or desired manner; The micrometer screw 2! is also anchored in engagement with the hanger 39 in the manner shown or in any other suitable manner so as to permit the screw 2'! to contact with the rack teeth 23 or to be moved out of engagement with these rack teeth by compressing the trigger 28.

The shaft 31 carries a ball-bearing journa1'32 adjacent the hanger 3B and a ball-dropping housing or casing 33 is journaled upon the ball-bearing journal 32, as indicated at 3 3, for constituting a bearing journal. A brake mechanism comprising the shaft 3l is employed, which shaft 3| is movable longitudinally by means of a cam trigger 35'Which when swung to the position shown in Figure 3 will lock the brake shoe 36 against the outer end of the bearing section 32 of the bearing journal '32 and hold the journal portion as against rotating movement, and thereby lock the ball-carrying housing against swinging movement when desired.

The ball-dropping housing 33 is carried by the journal 33 as shown, and the trigger 35 may be swung to the position shown in dotted lines to release the brake shoe 36 and permit the housing 33 to freely swing in a pendulum-like manner together with the hanger 39.

The ball-dropping housing 33 is provided with a vertical bore 3'l the upper end of which carries an Alnico magnet 38 which is in the nature of magnetized metal and is of any desired or usual shape, and is slidably mounted within the channel, 39 carried by the cap 40 of the balldi'opping housing 33. This magnet 38 is connected to a bell crank lever 4!, which bell crank lever M is actuated by a cam 42 the cam being carried by a shaft 43 and in turn being operated by a spring-pressed trigger 43 carried by the handle it as shown in Figure 5. Consequently, by compressing the trigger 44 the shaft 53 will be rotated in turn rotating the cam 42 swinging the bell crank lever 4-1 and lifting the magnet 38 bodily in a vertical direction in a manner for the purpose hereinafter described.

t will be noted that the casing or ball-dropping housing 33 has a pronounced longitudinal extent and that; the retractible missile-supporting means or magnet 38 is longer than it is wide. This magnet 33 is carried near one end of the casing or housing 33, as-shown in Figure 3. A free-falling missile, such as one of the balls 48, is rcleasablyheld by the missile-supporting means ormagnet 38. The missile-supporting means or to release the screw 27 from the rack teeth 25.

magnet 38 is mounted for bodily sliding longitudinal movement withrespect to the casing or housing 33, in a direction away from the missile to release the missile. V

A ball-guiding tube 45 is carried by the housing 33 and extends to a point adjacent the lower end of the channel 39. A rotating valve 46 is carried near one end of the tube 45 and communicates with a spring-pressed ball-carrying magazine 3'! extending vertically of the housing 33 in a manner as shown in Figure 3. Balls 58 are carried within the magazine 41 and are carried to the valve 46. This valve 46 is rotated bymeans of'a trigger 49, the valve 43 having an open side for receiving theballs 48. As the trigger 49 is depressed and the valve 43 rotates the open side of the valve 45 Will be brought into registration with the end of the tube 45, and the ball will be fed down through the tube 35 to a position to contact with the lower end 50 of the depending tube 5!. Before rotating the valve 46, however, a supporting element 52 which is journaled, as at 53, is swung from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 by depressing the trigger 54. The supporting element 52 when in the position shown in dotted lines will prevent the ball when contacting with the lower end 50 0f the tube 5! from dropping momentarily until the ball is acted upon by the magnetic force of the magnet 38 and firmly held in position thereby. The trigger 34 is then released and the supporting element 52 drops to the position shown in full lines.

The magazine a! may be of a conventional type but is preferably held in threaded engagement with the lower end 33 of the housing 33 as shown. A channel 55 leads from the lower end of the bore 3? to a point near the lower end 33 of the housing 33 to provide a pocket to permit accumulated balls within the bore 31 to pass to a position where the balls may be placed within the magazine ii. The magazine 47 may be withdrawn from the housing 33 to receive the balls within the channel 35 and may then be replaced to the position shown in Figure 3 for feeding the balls4-8 to a point where they may be engaged individually at selective intervals by the magnetic force of the magnet 38 A glass plate 53 is supported at the bottom of the bore 31 and is engaged by the upper end of a viewing tube 57, which tube extends up into the socket 558 of the housing 33. Paper reels 59 are rotatably mountedwithin the housing 33 upon opposite sides of the socket '58 so as to causes. strip of paper 69 to be reeled over the glass plate 56 at the upper end of the viewing tube 57. A suitable knurled knob 3'! may be employed for operating the reel or reels 59. A hinged ribboncarrying plate 62 is hingedly secured, as at 63 near one side of the bore 31 adjacent the plate 56 and is adapted to be swung down over the panel 56 and paper 60 from; the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 in the direction of the arrow, and a suitable knob 34 is utilized for this purpose. This, ribbon-carrying plate 32 carries a suitable strip of inked ribbon 62 and when the ribbon 62 is drawn in contact with the strip of paper 63, a ball dropping thereon. will cause an impression to be made on the strip of paper. The housing 33 is provided with a window upon one side and a hinged window 63 on the opposite side. The hinged window 66 maybe swung upwardly to permit an operator to place a suitable mark across the strip of paper 60 atthe centerof the viewing tube 51 to-pr-ovide a gauge. The viewingtube 51 is slidably mounted through a guide 61 anchored upon the lower end of the hanger 30 and this viewing tube 51 is vertically slidably mounted through the guide 61 so that the upper end of the tube may be moved into and out of the socket 58 to hold the housing 33 in proper alignment with the viewing tube 51.

It, should be understood that any suitable or desired type of means may be employed for raising the magnetized element or magnet 38 to withdraw the magnetic force away from the ball 50 and that any desired type of trigger arrangement may be utilized for this purpose without departing from the spirit of the invention.

When taking an observation, the operator will view an object through the observation tube H in a manner to cause the spot 24 to center upon the center of the object as accurately as possible and when the proper sight is taken the trigger 44 is compressed bodily moving the magnet 38 upwardly and urge the magnetic force away from the ball supported thereby, thereby releasing the ball and permitting the ball to drop as a free-falling mass upon the strip of ribbon 62 which will cause a mark to be impressed upon the strip of paper 61! directly thereunder. By operating the triggers 54 and 49 the valve 46 will be opened and the supporting element 52 moved to a proper position to feed an additional ball 48 to a proper point, below the lower end of the tube 5! where the ball will be suspended by magnetic force by the magnet 38. The supporting element 52 is then dropped to the position shown in full lines in Figure 3. A second reading may then be taken and a second ball dropped to make a further impression upon the paper. In this way, a number of readings may betaken in a manner similar to that described in my previous Patent #2,219,990 issued October 29, 1940, and relating to an angle determining device. It should be understood that the magnet in the present instance constitutes a piece of highly magnetized material which will retain its magnetism over a maximum period of time, and that the ball is released by bodily moving the magnet to a position whereby the magnetic force will be weakened with respect to the ball and will permit the ball to drop by force of gravity to impress a mark upon the strip of paper 63 to obtain a reading of angle variance with respect to the vertical and horizontal planes. If the instrument is held in a true vertical, the ball which is dropped within the housing 33 will strike the center of the recording unit or recording means, but if the instrument is tilted at an angle to either side of the line of vision of the object observed, the impact of the ball when dropped upon the recording means during observation will record the angle of tilt. The degree of this angle of tilt must be computed and subtracted from the altitude angle which is measured on the instrument to determine the true angle of the object observed, measured from the true vertical or horizontal plane.

It should be understood that means may be provided if desired to automatically and periodically drop a series of balls one after another upon the recording means to give a reading of an average angle. This mechanism may embody a timing device for releasing these balls one at a time over a selected period of time and may be set in motion by pulling the trigger 44 or by any other means such as electrical release means.

It should be understood that in timing the observation, the viewing tube 51 is released or withdrawn from the housing 33 permitting the housing 33 to freely swing in a pendulum-like manner through the force of gravity. The balls 48 by dropping through the housing 33 will record the angle of swing and the hanger 30 may then be swung to this angle and locked in position to obtain a proper reading upon the quadrant 25 and the relative markings upon the strip of paper at may be viewed through the medium of the viewing tube 51.

Attention is called to the fact that in Figure 1 the housing 33 is swung away from the viewing tube 5'! for the purpose of showing the parts of the device and to emphasize the fact that this housing 33 may swing upon its journal independent of th hanger 38 and the housing 33 being also adapted to swing upon the shaft 3| when the housing 33 is secured in the position shown in Figure 3.

The observation tube carries a transparent plate or glass panel 23 as shown in Figure 1, and this transparent plate or glass panel 23 has crossed etched lines 23 formed thereon to facilitate th alignment of the junction of these crossed lines with the luminous spot carried by the transparent plate or glass panel 23.

The glass panel or plate 55 is preferably provided with a pair of spaced transverse etched lines 53 and a central crossed line 56 The recording strip is provided at spaced intervals with transverse short lines which are adapted to register with a similar line carried by the panel or plate 55. The dots in Figure 9 indicate the markings from the ball 48 upon the record strip 58. The operator may reach in through the window and write on the strip 58 a suitable memorandum as to time, or make other notations if desired.

As shown in Figure 4, the housing 33 may be provided with a closure plate 33 adjacent the strip 60 to permit access to the strip 60 for replacement and access to the reels 59 by the removal of the plate 33.

The micrometer screw and Vernier 29 is provided with a rotatable band 29 which may be set independent of the Vernier and locked in position by manipulating the member 29 so that the amount of turn of the Vernier or micrometer screw may be observed after the setting for a comparison with the other readings of the instrument.

The instrument above described constitutes a recording and averaging sextant and provides a very light instrument for recording the altitude of celestial bodies by employing a ball-dropping device in the nature of a missile and a means for averaging the groups of dots on the recording strip or tape 60 and this instrument embodies an observation tube I l, the recording mechanism and housing 33, the altitude quadrant or are 25 and the viewing or averaging unit 51. T

The observation tube I! is preferably constructed of a light material such as Dural having an overall length preferably eight inches, and a diameter of one and one-fourth inches. The eyecan or piece [4 consists of a small peep-hole described above. The transparent panel or glass 23 has etched or engraved crossed lines 23 and is placed in the tube l l preferably five inches from the peep-hole. The glass or transparent panel 23 at the outer end of the tube H has the exact center thereof etched to provide a onesixteenth of an inch circle which is filled with luminous paint one-thirty-second of an inch thick. The yellow glare from this luminous paint permitsastar or planet (such as the moon and thel'il'se) to be centered thereon, This then becomes the horizon or reference line. The eye-cap or piece [4 near the eye is provided with a means for varying the size of the opening to provide a sun-shade, and the like. It should be borne in mind-that the present device provides a very efiicient-structure wherein themissile or ball 48 may be released by simply pulling the trigger 34 thereby avoiding dislocation or change of the position of the instrument to produce the desired record.

When using the device, the eye-piece I4 is placed near the eye of the observer and the brake 36 is; released through the medium of the member'35 to permit the recording mechanism to swing in a pendulum-like manner to a substantially vertical position. A ball is fed to a proper position as described above to be suspended by the magnet 38 and when the horizon line or reference line registers with the body being observed, the trigger 44 is operated releasing the ball 38 which will drop upon the ribbon section 62* and make a record upon the strip fill, to provide a permanent record of contact. This may be repeated for ten'shots to obtain an average.

The averaging device is moved to a position directly over the viewing tube 51 to obtain a reading of the ten shots above mentioned, recorded on the strip of paper 6i This viewing tube 57 may be provided with a suitable magnifying lens. The 'm icrometer screw 27 is moved until the etched line is in the center of the group of dots then read the arc forthe. degrees and the micrometer screw drum for the minutes. This gives the altitude reading. V p

The "instrument illustrated and described in this application is adapted to be used in substantially the same manner as a sextant, but the present instrument is constructed in such a manner as to measure an angle within an arc of 90. This instrument may be, if so desired, attached to a sextant or octant in any conventional manner for the purpose of furnishing an artificial horizon, from which an angle of elevation may be measured. fHaving described the invention what I claim as new is: p M V V 1. An angle-recording deviceof the class described comprisinga casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be suspended inbne end of the casing by the mag netic element, a recording device carried, near the opposite end of the casing and means for bodily moving the magnetic element away from the missile for releasing thefmissile and causing the missile to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means. V

2. angle-recordingdevice of the class described comprising acasing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be suspended in one end of the casing by the magnetic element, a recording device carried" near theopposite end of the casing, a triggerm'echanism for bodily moving the magneticelement away from the missile for releasing'the missile and causing the missile to iall freely by force of gravity and strike said recording means.

3. An angle-recording device of the class described comprising a casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing; afree-fall'ing" missileadapted to" be sus' pended in'one end of the casing byth'e magnetic element, a" recordingdevice carried near the nip-- 8 posite-enact the casing, means for bodily moving the magnetie element awayfrom the 'mis'silefor releasing thefinissile and causihg the missile to may fall by-force of gravity and strike said recording means, and means for feeding a missile to a point within the magnetic field of the mag netic element to cause the missile to lie-mag netieally suspended within the magnetic field.

4, An angle-recording device of the class de-' scribed comprising a casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be sus pended in one end ofthe casing by the magnetic element, a recording device carried near the opposite end of the casing, means for bodily moving the magnetic element away from the missile for releasing the missile and causing the missile to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means, means for feeding a missile to a point within the magnetic field of the magnetic element to cause the missile to be magnetically suspended within the magnetic field, a missile reservoir, and valve means for releasing the missiles one-by-one to be fed to the magnetic element.

5. An angle-recording device of the class described comprising a casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be suspended in one end of the casing by the magnetic element, a recording device carried near the opposite end of the casing, means for bodily mov ing the magnetic element away from the missile for releasing the missile and causing the missile to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means, means for feeding a missile to a point within the magnetic field of the magnetic element to cause the missile to be magnetically suspended within the magnetic field, a missile reservoir, valve means for releasing the missiles oneby-one to be fed to the magnetic element, and a spring-pressed magazine fitting in the reservoir.

6. An angle-recording device of the class described comprising a casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be suspended in one end of the casing by the magnetic element, a recording device carried near the opposite end of the casing, means for bodily moving the magnetic element away from the missile for releasing the missile and causing the missile to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means, means for feeding a missile to a point within the magnetic field of the magnetic element to cause the missile to be magnetically suspended within the magnetic field, a missile reservoir, valve means for releasing the missiles oneby-on'e' to be fed tothe magnetic element, and a trigger for operating the valve means.

7. An angle-recording device of the class de scribed comprising a casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, afree-falling' missile adapted to be sus-- pended in one endofthe casing by the magnetic element, a recording device carried near the opposite end of the" casing, means for bodily moving the magnetic el'e'nient away from the missile far releasin the missile and causing the missile to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means, means for feeding a missile to a point within the magnetic field of the magnetic element'to cause the missile to be magnetically suspended within the magnetic field, a missile reservoir, valve means for releasing the missiles one-by-one to be'fed to the magnetic element, and movable means movable to a positionuiider the magnetic element for supportin a missile while it is being moved to a position within the magnetic field of the magnetic element.

8. An angle-recording device of the class described comprising a casing, a magnetic element mounted for bodily movement and carried by the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be suspended in one end of the casing by the magnetic element, a recording device carried near the opposite end of the casing, means for bodily moving the magnetic element away from the missile for releasing the missile and causing the missile to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means, means for feeding a missile to a point within the magnetic field of the magnetic element to cause th missile to be magnetically suspended within the magnetic field, a missile reservoir, valve means for releasing the missiles one-by-one to be fed to the magnetic element, and means formin a communication between the reservoir and the casing for directing the missiles from the interior of the casing to the reservoir.

9. An angle-recording device of the class described comprising a casing having a pronounced longitudinal extent, a retractible missile-supporting means longer than it is wide, said retractible missile-supporting means carried near one end of said casing, a free-falling missile releasably held by said missile-supporting means, said missile-supporting means mounted for bodily sliding longitudinal movement with respect to said casing in a direction away from the missile to release the missile, a recording means carried near the opposite end of said casing, said missile being adapted to impact with said recordin means to indicate the angle of incline and the angle of sidewise tilt of the casing during impact, means for releasing the missile from the supporting means, means for feeding a missile to the supporting means, a missile reservoir, and means for releasing the missiles from the reservoir one by one to be fed to the supporting means.

10. An angle-recording device of the class described comprising a casing, a recording means carried at one end of the casing, a reciprocating retractible missile-suspending element carried at the opposite end of the casing, a free-falling missile adapted to be suspended by said suspending element and also adapted to freely fall by force of gravity and strike said recording means when the missile is released, and means for bodily moving said suspending element away from said missile and in a direction opposite to the direction of fall of the missile for releasing said missile.

FREDERICK H. HAGNER. 

